Back to the Past
by GuardianNephilium
Summary: First a stranger's form in a drunken haze. Brilliant gold shining in a painful fog. Now an unfamiliar face with all-too-familiar eyes in the heart of S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters with unbelievable news. But how does Tony get past an entire realm of pain and distrust? How do you learn to love the God of Lies?-Set after IM3 and Thor:TDW. SPOILERS! I OWN NOTHING! Pepper and Tony split up.
1. Chapter 1

"Lock it down! Lock it down! Security breach!" The guards bellowed to each other, readying their weapons. Director Fury lead the way calmly. The Avengers followed behind closely, Clint with his bow drawn taut and Natasha with her hands on the guns at her hips. Steve followed with his shield at his side, Tony not in full armor but had the gloves on, charged up to fire a repulsor beam. Thor, however reluctantly, had answered the call as well, and had Mjolnir ready. Bruce was (thankfully) not alerted. No one needed the Hulk running free.

"Is this what you called us here for? Because I have big things planned, important things..." Tony commented.

"Shut up, Stark. As you can tell, we're having a bit of a situation here," Fury snapped.

"Yeah, we can see that. But can you please explain what exactly this situation is?" Steve asked, irritation flashing through his voice.

"Stark should be able to explain that nicely." They reached the conference room. It had been locked down.

"It's in here. We secured it as soon as she was detected."

"She?" Natasha smirked. Thor stayed silent.

"Open the door. Seal it behind us," Fury ordered the guards. They snapped to a salute, then the one on the right scanned his eye and the door slid open.

When they entered the room, it seemed for the most part empty. But not for long.

"Well I wondered when you would show. I was beginning to get bored," a voice called from the shadow behind the rail. A woman stepped out. She was clad all in black, with leather boots, dark jeans and a leather jacket. Long brown hair fell in curly rings flowing past her shoulders, exaggerating her bright, mischievous green eyes. She wore dark red lipstick, pouty lips hiding a blindingly white smile as she smirked at the group, her arms crossed across her ample chest. She swayed her hips as she walked toward them. All except Fury and Natasha watched her walk across the room. Natasha drew her gun and readied her aim as Fury rolled his eyes but did the same. She stopped a good ten feet from them and snapped her fingers to get the men to stop staring. She made a motion with her left hand, her right on her hip.

"My eyes are up here," she said sarcastically. Tony eventually stepped forward, heavily laying on the charm in an attempt to make up for Steve's red face and Thor's attempts at averting his eyes. Clint was not so subtly checking her out still.

"Well, what's a gorgeous woman like you doing in this place?" he flirted, voice dripping with charisma. She snorted in response.

"First, not a chance in hell, so I suggest you stop trying, Tony. Two, I'm here to see you anyway." She turned to the rest of them. "I suggest you sit down and call the scientist. You'll want his help." She looked at Fury pointedly.

"Make the call," he said to the agent who had followed him in. The agent rushed out as the Avengers sat down, weapons discarded on the table. "So what the hell are you doing in a secure S.H.I.E.L.D. installation?"

"You call this secure? I've seen daycares with better security than this. It was fourteen seconds tops to crack nearly every password to any lock in this place. You're supposed to be containing superheroes for God's sake." Fury ground his teeth but turned his back and stormed away, leaving the room.

"So what are you doing here, and more importantly, who are you that you can hack S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Steve questioned.

"Good question, ice pop. So here's the big reveal." She turned around and backed away from the table, turning around and bowing mockingly. "My name is Jessica Stark." She pointed to Tony. "I'm his daughter."


	2. Chapter 2

"WHAT?! Ok, wait a second," Tony shrieked, jumping out of his seat and storming up to her as Clint burst out laughing. "I didn't knock up some chick, what, you look about twenty-five, so when I was about seventeen? Yeah, no!"

"See, that's the kicker, Tony. I'm from the future."

Everyone in the room was dead silent. Then Stark started laughing.

"Yeah, right, and I'm the President!"

"I can prove it." Tony went to make another rude comment, but Captain America interrupted him.

"Ok, prove it." Tony huffed and stomped back to his seat, dropping into it and turning around to face her again.

"I will, and it will also explain how I came to be here." She walked straight up to Tony, putting her hands on either arm rest and getting in his face. "Stark Industries benefit dinner, six months ago. Tall woman, long black hair that curled at the ends, paler than snow, revealing green silk dress with an extremely low back, killer figure, bright blue eyes, five inch black heels, favored a fur stole on her shoulders. Ringing any bells?" she smirked, speaking at a lightning fast pace. "Drank five hyper vodkas before she got you to bed. You were drunk off of whiskey mixed with scotch. Woke up the next morning to an unrecognizable figure leaving your room, a massive headache and one thing left on the chair next to your bed. Remember what it was?" The longer she talked, the paler Tony got.

"Tony? What was it?" Natasha asked, curiosity peaking.

"It was... No... There is no freaking way!... I didn't..."

"Stop stuttering, Man of Iron, and tell us what it was the lady left with you!" Thor demanded.

"It was... his helmet. It was Loki's helmet."

"That is impossible." Thor rose from his seat, turning his back on all of them and starting toward the door. "Loki is dead."

"No, Uncle. He lives."

"HE DIED IN MY ARMS!" he bellowed as he stopped and spun around, rage-filled eyes burning into her. "I saw it happen, I was there when he died! I felt his blood, heard his last words! You cannot deny what I myself have witnessed!" He was inches from her face now, screaming. The amount of anguish that was painted there was astonishing.

"It was a trick, Thor, another trick." Thor stared, disbelief hardening into resignation and pain, then sadness. All quickly covered by anger. He took a step back.

"I do not, worth my life, believe you. But if what you say is true, then I wish nothing to do with him. He broke his word. He swore he would not betray me, and he did. Even if he does live, the brother I knew has long since met that fate that played out in front of my eyes."

"How much you had changed," she commented. "He always told me how he could never forgive himself for the pain he caused you. But I never saw it first hand. Until now." She took a step closer. Now she was in his face. "So full of anger and pain, no time to mourn for all of those you have loved and lost in this. So you keep it inside of you, gnawing at you like a sickness."

"Do not speak of that which you do not understand," he growled.

"You wish for a time that you feel cannot be, and maybe you are right. But there is one thing I can do. Thor," she looked him in the eye, "I will bring your brother back. The brother you knew so long ago will return to you, I promise." Thor didn't hear a word of it as he turned to leave again. She shook her head.

"He kept his word."

He froze in place. "What did you say?" he hissed.

"He kept his word. In fact he helped you. By pretending to be Odin when you were summoned," she held up her hand when he tried to interject, "he allowed you to go home, where you would be happy. He kept you with Jane."

"For your sake," he ground out of clenched teeth, "I hope those were his intentions. There is very little that can be done to repair the immense damage he has caused." He strode out of the room as Doctor Banner entered, shoving past him.

"Well, I'd ask what was wrong with him, but I heard already." He saw Jessica standing by the table. "Who's the woman?"

"Tony and Loki's daughter from the future," Clint groaned as he stood from his chair, smiling to himself. Bruce's eyes widened. Natasha smirked as she strolled out. Steve followed her, caught in disbelief. Bruce took a few steps toward Jessica before Tony stopped him.

"I want blood tests run on this chick," he murmured in his ear, "Find out if she actually is my daughter. If she isn't, then who the hell is she and how did she get here? Do every test you can think of, but find out who she is." Bruce nodded, and Tony breathed out heavily, before patting him on the back and turning to leave. Bruce made to follow him out.

"Stark," she called. He turned. "I need to speak with you." Bruce eyed him skeptically. Tony nodded, and Bruce continued on. Tony took his seat again.

"Talk to me."

"You are my father, Tony, and Loki, for all intensive purposes, is my mother." Tony groaned at this. "As much as you want to argue, these are facts. In about six months, infant me will be showing up on your doorstep along with a pretty beat-to-hell Loki. Every part of you will be screaming to either shoot him, shut the door, or both. I'm telling you not to. Because this won't be the Loki you know. This isn't the one that attacked Midgard." Tony stood again.

"Nice pep talk, sweetheart, but I've been itching to blast his reindeer ass out of the sky ever since he threw me out of the tower window." She sighed heavily.

"Then I guess I have six months to make you change your mind."

Tony snorted. "Not likely." He walked out of the room.

She ran her hand through her hair, closed her eyes, and vanished.


	3. Chapter 3

When she reappeared on S.H.I.E.L.D's radar a few days later, it was at the door of the newly-rebuilt Stark Tower, now serving as Avengers headquarters. She walked through the front door. Pepper Potts was talking to the secretary. She paused her conversation, and turned to face her.

"Can I help you?" Jessica smiled politely.

"You must be Ms. Potts. Tony told me all about you." Jealousy sparked in Pepper's eyes briefly. She pursed her lips.

"I'm sure he did. You going up to see him?"

"Not him. Thor, but it's kind of a surprise. Would you mind not telling Tony where I'm going? You know how he is with secrets." The jealousy vanished as soon as she mentioned Thor.

"Of course." She gestured to the lift, then returned to her conversation. Jessica strode into the lift. The doors shut, she smiled at the security camera, and disappeared.

On the top floor, Tony watched the camera.

"Sir, may I inquire as to the identity of the woman you are observing?" Jarvis asked.

"I'm not entirely sure..." he mumbled to himself. He stood and began to pace. Then he stopped and addressed Jarvis again. "Security footage, Stark Industries benefit dinner, six months ago."

"Of course, sir. And exactly what am I looking for?" "Black hair, green dress. Apparently I went home with her," he smirked as he poured himself a drink.

When Jessica strode down the hallways and stopped outside Thor's door, Tony couldn't say he was surprised. She seemed to have had a lot more to say to him, after all.

"Jarvis, record from the moment she enters Thor's floor until the moment she leaves. Leave nothing out."

"Understood, sir."

Jessica knocked on the door. Thor answered, took one look at who it was, and went to close it again.

"Just wait, please?" she asked, grabbing the door. "Let me say my piece, and then you're free to strike me with Mjolnir or whatever else you wish. Just hear me out." Thor thought for a moment, before reluctantly holding the door wide enough for her to enter.

"If you anger me, I will harm you," he promised.

"I understand." Thor shut the door. He had changed out of his armor and into Midgardian clothing.

"Look, the significance of what I'm about to say would have been lost on everyone in that room except you."

"Say what you must, and then leave me."

Jessica took a deep breath and began.

"Up until three months from now, Loki's mind will have not been his own. Yes, the actions were being performed by him, but the actions themselves were the work of Thanos. He had control of Loki's mind from the day he fell from the Bifrost. He fed off of Loki's wants and fears and used them to control him by means of torturing him, using his Jotun bloodline against him." Thor stayed silent. He neither protested not agreed, so she continued. "Now as you undoubtedly know, there are only three types of pain that can break such a strong mental block. One is the pain of death. Two, the pain of heartbreak or loss, and three is the very physical pain of childbirth. My birth will be what breaks the binding Loki's mind is in. And when he shows up here, he won't be wanting pity, and he isn't there to trick any of you. What he needs is help. He'll be beat up and disoriented, having just broken out of the mental hold of one of the most dangerous beings in the Nine. He will be trying to figure out what happened and why everything is how it is now. But he will be the Loki you knew, or as close to it as he can get given the circumstances."

"How am I to believe you? Even if you were being truthful, how could this happen without the All-Father's notice? Or Heimdall's?" He sank down onto his bed.

"Thor, Thanos has had control over Loki's mind for over a year now. As much as I hate to admit it, Odin is more than likely dead. And as for Heimdall, I cannot answer for him." Thor did not answer. She put her hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry."

She left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

"She has exited, sir," Jarvis alerted.

"I know, Jarvis. Just, let me think." He sat for a moment, then pressed a button. "Jessica, can you please come to the top floor?"

He barely finished the intercom call when she appeared right next to him, sitting on his desk.

"You called?" Tony jumped in alarm.

"Holy shit, don't do that!" He grabbed at his chest.

"Where's the fun in that?" she commented, examining his possessions. "Why'd you call me up here?"

"Ok, let's say that for one tiny millionth of a second I maybe believe even half of your story, I have some questions for you."

"Shoot."

"How the hell did you get back into our time?"

"Excellent question! I've been waiting for one of you to ask that." She pulled a perfectly square, glowing object out of the inside pocket of her jacket. Tony raised his eyebrow and held out his hand.

"And what exactly is that?"

"A personal Bifrost manipulator. I can only go between Asgard and Midgard, but I can go to any location and any point in time. Once I'm there, it's my own power that allows me to disappear and reappear wherever I please."

"Let me see that..." Tony peered at it, reaching his hand out to take it. In a flash of light the crystal vanished.

"Sorry, hon. Not meant for you. Timelines colliding and such."

"What? And you being here doesn't do that already?"

"It does. But it was necessary."

"For what? To tell me not to kick that lying sack of glitter's ass, and that he popped out a kid that's mine because I got shit-faced and went home with the wrong chick? Again?"

"Essentially, yes."

"Well, mission accomplished. You told me. Now scram back to your own time."

"My leaving wouldn't change any of the events that will occur. Loki will still show up at your door in six months, toting an infant that will grow up to be me. The question is, will I grow up to be who I am now, or will I be a foster child, or even worse, will I not grow up at all? Because if you don't let Loki in when he shows up, both him and I will be dead within a year. There are too many people gunning for him for him to be safe on his own. This is the safest place in the Nine for him right now."

"And why should I even care? He threw me out of a window! He meant for me to die!"

"Tony, I know you listened to what I told Thor, so you know that's not the truth."

"I don't care what is or isn't the truth!" Jessica sighed.

"I need to show you something. I hope you haven't eaten lately." She strode up to him, grabbed hold of his shoulder, and both vanished into thin air.

"Sir?"

When Tony did not reply, Jarvis quickly sent out an emergency signal. Captain America was the first to know. And it would not bode well.

**Dun Dun DUUUNNN! I'll be updating this sometime soon.**

**Putting a warning here now, next chapter is EXTREMELY GRAPHIC! In a blood-and-guts sort of way. So be careful. Those of you who don't want to read it, I'll put a quick summary of it at the beginning of Chapter 5 so you won't have to. But if you really want to understand what causes a change of heart in Tony, you'll have to read it.**


	4. Chapter 4

***Insert obligatory disclaimer about not owning the characters or the actors that play them or the movies and other necessary bullshit***

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS VERY GRAPHIC! IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ IT, SKIP TO CHAPTER 5!**

"What was that?! And where are..." Tony's voice dropped out. Jessica stepped forward.

"This is what will happen to my father and I if you turn Loki away." They were in a palace, or what remained of one. Blood was frozen on the icy walls, red and blue mixing in a sickly mosaic. Ice chunks littered the floor. Occasional body parts of frost giants were covered in frost. Green scratches and stains were everywhere, where Loki had tried to fight back with magic and missed, his attempts forever encased in ice. Tony knelt to the ground, dry heaving at the mess of muscle strings and blood covering almost every surface. When he stood up again, his balance was tentative.

"What... What happened here?" he croaked, his voice wavering.

"See for yourself." She led the way down a hallway. More blood met their view, along with something else. Long nail marks were dragged through the ice, some bloody, green seeping from the tips.

"His magic, it's green when he uses it," she commented.

"He was dragged away," Tony mumbled to himself as he ran his hand along the grooves. She nodded.

"Follow me." She led him further down, past more signs of a deadly battle. When they got to the bottom of a staircase, she waved her hand and the ice in front of them melted, revealing the room behind it, and Tony swayed dangerously.

In it sat Loki, or what remained of him. His black hair was matted with blood from multiple head injuries. His face was cut and bleeding, frost ringing the edges of his wounds. He stared blankly, his knees pulled up to his chest, rocking back and forth, eyes fixed on the wall across from him. His armor had been cut away, his clothes replaced with those of a Jotun servant girl, barely covering his very pale and battered body. There were tears in his lips and mouth, where his mouth had been sewn shut, and had ripped open again.

"If he's so cold and so unhealthy, why doesn't he just turn into a frost giant? Wouldn't that heal him?" Tony questioned.

"It would. But he remembers everything that happened, everything he did while in that form. He hates it because of what it means. He wouldn't change to save his own life, so he fought as a god."

"Can't he see us?" She turned to him.

"You and I are mere projections right now. Figments of my imagination. We are not part of this timeline."

"What is he staring at?" She grimaced. She raised her hand again, and it revealed the rest of the walls.

"Me." The wall his eyes were fixed on was soaked with blood. It was dripping down, a puddle having formed on the floor and seeping into the ice, staining it. Nailed to the wall was the remains of a child. Its head had been shoved onto a pike and thrust into the ice. The rest had been torn into pieces and nailed to the wall. The heart and organs had been taken out and kept separately, each hammered in with their own nail. Tony's eyes rolled up in his head, and he almost passed out. Jessica reached out and caught him.

"That... That isn't..." he murmured.

"Yes, Tony. That is me." But the rest of what she was going to say was cut off by the door on the other side opening. Into the cell climbed Thanos himself.

"Enjoying your view, Loki?" Loki didn't answer. "Little prince, answer me."

"Go to Niflheim. And stay there," Loki croaked, finally tearing his gaze away to fix Thanos with the darkest look anyone had ever seen. Thanos grabbed Loki's face and pulled him by his head towards him.

"I'll see you there, little Jotun," he whispered, inches from his face. Thanos' eyes shone blue, and Loki began to scream. His eyes shot rays of the same blue light. Smoke poured out as blood streamed from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.

"Stop, stop, STOP! I GET IT! I'VE SEEN ENOUGH!" Tony bellowed, hands crushed against his ears, eyes screwed shut. Jessica grabbed his shoulder again, and they were back in his room. Tony fell to the floor as soon as they landed, landing on his knees. Tears were falling from his eyes.

"I hate him. I hate him so much it's like a disease, and there's so much pain I'd want to cause him for what he did to us and to the city. But not that. Never that."

She rested her hand on his upper back. "I know."

All of a sudden the door burst open and the Avengers rushed in. Clint had his bow ready and shot at her with an arrow. She shielded Tony and caught it in the air.

"Like father, like daughter," she smirked.

"It wasn't meant to hit you," Clint hissed. She felt a sharp prick in her side. She turned to see Natasha behind her, a now-empty needle in her hand. There was a scream of "JESS!" from Tony. Her knees buckled as her vision tunneled, but she never felt the harsh connect with tile. Instead strong, familiar hands gently supported her as she fell. She was scooped up in a bridal carry, and the person started walking as she slipped into unconsciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

**SUMMARY TIME: Basically, for those of you who skipped Chapter 4 due to the graphic nature, Jessica shows Tony that if he doesn't help Loki, he will be captured by Thanos, tortured, made into a sex slave, and both he and Jessica will be killed. What Tony saw is causing him to have a change of heart, but he's not quite there yet.**

When she started regaining consciousness, she registered her surroundings as S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters again. More specifically, the helicarrier. Chained to a chair in the conference room. Random lines of speech were assaulting her ears.

"Clearly not human." Steve talking.

"Tranquilizers?!" Bruce.

"Surprising reaction." Natasha.

"Shitstorm she caused." Fury. More and more was becoming clear. When she came to, she picked up a conversation between Tony and Steve.

"The blood tests show everything, Tony. She is your daughter."

"Well, did you do other tests?"

"Bruce did every test he could fathom! Everything says she's your genetic daughter. Jarvis even told us about the security footage. It showed essentially a female version of Loki coming on to you at the party. She got every detail correct. Almost like-"

"Almost like I was there?" she finished, rolling her neck in an attempt to relieve the stiffness. Tony and Steve looked at her. Bruce peeked up from a clipboard he had been writing on at the table. Tony groaned loudly and left the room, followed by Steve. Only Bruce remained. She steeled her muscles as he stepped towards her. He raised his hands in surrender and took a step back.

"Not going to prick you or anything. Want to talk." He leaned against the conference table, crossing his arms across his chest. She raised her eyebrow. "But I doubt you'd believe that. You're Loki's kid, after all. You know about the other guy."

"Yes I do, hence my hesitation to believe anything you say," she snapped.

"Understandably so. But right now it's me." He paused. "I want to talk about Loki. Thor told us about how he supposedly 'died', but it seems you know differently."

"Obviously."

"So enlighten me." She took a deep breath, and began.

"It was after Loki's 'funeral'…"

_Supposedly his body had been left behind, I thought, as I covered my head with the cloak that hid my now-masculine face. There was an empty boat with his cloak and some of his armor in it. His helmet was nowhere to be found. Odin wasn't there, not surprisingly. Loki was my father, so I was in attendance, even if he was still considered a criminal. I had to disguise myself well; not my timeline after all. Thor had returned to Asgard for the funeral, telling all who would listen of Loki's deeds in the dark realm. After the ceremony, Thor made a beeline to the throne room. When he entered, Odin sat pensively at his throne._

_"Allfather, I must speak with you." Odin looked up from his throne. I snuck quietly through the door, casting a quick spell as I entered and hiding myself from view. Odin raised his eyebrow._

_"So speak." Thor took a deep breath._

_"You know of what I have witnessed on the dark world. You know of Loki's bravery. I ask for his name to be cleared, even if it is too late." Odin smiled slightly._

_"Your intent is understood. But there is much I cannot do, as it would be a show of weakness. Giving in to such a request would fall under such an action."_

_"Loki showed true courage and loyalty, two traits not known by me or any other to be in his possession."_

_"Thor, my son, as much as I understand and perhaps favor your motive, I cannot." Thor glared at his father._

_"You are a part of the reason he committed the crimes he was guilty of, and here you sit, still stubbornly set in your ways and your decision of his evil. He is dead. Are you not satisfied now?"_

_"His death does not bring me satisfaction. However, his crimes are still to be decided."_

_"HE IS DEAD! IS THAT NOT ENOUGH?!" Thor bellowed at his father. I watched with wide eyes as Thor screamed at him, defying the Allfather for Loki's sake. Even Odin was shocked, however carefully masked it was. Finally, when Thor had quieted, Odin spoke again._

_"Leave me. I do not wish to continue this another moment longer." Thor stared defiantly at Odin before turning and storming out. When Thor had disappeared and the doors had closed, Odin stood. His skin began to shimmer and a beam of light enveloped him. The face of Loki emerged from the light._

_"You clever son of a..." I murmured in disbelief, and made to exit. I didn't see Loki freeze, listening intently._

_"Whoever you are," he growled, "you cannot hide yourself from me. I'm a god and a sorcerer." He waved his hand. A beam of cerulean light shot out, sweeping the room. It glided over me, froze, then returned to my direction. I knew he had sensed me, but I stayed still for a moment, watching Loki. His eyes were shining the same blue, but his magic itself, I knew, was green. He began muttering to himself in another language. A face began to form, then a body. A dark, grotesquely purple body. I recognized it immediately._

_"Thanos," I whispered. __I broke into a run and raced out of the door. Loki turned to face the source of the noise._

_"STOP!" he bellowed, but I was gone. His shouting had broken__ his concentration on the body forming in front of him. It began to bellow and groan in pain, not completed yet. It collapsed on itself, disappearing into oblivion._


	6. Chapter 6

**SPOILER FOR AGE OF ULTRON IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT. SORRY BUT IT FIT IN THE STORY.**

* * *

"So it was Loki the entire time. In Asgard." Bruce commented when she finished recounting my story.

"A distorted and manipulated version, but yes. Would you mind?" She lifted her hands to indicate the chains.

"Why don't you just zap yourself out of them?" He asked as he pulled a key out of his back pocket and undid the lock.

"Sign of good faith. So Director Fury feels he has some semblance of control over me."

"And in reality?"

"You guys are about as likely to stop me as you are Thor."

"So basically, the Other Guy is the only one who could make a dent," Bruce concluded. She looked at him sympathetically.

"Pretty much. But like I said, sign of good faith. I'm not here as your enemy. I'm here to help Loki." Bruce stopped in his unwinding of the chains to look her over.

"Why us? You know for a fact we aren't exactly his biggest fans."

"I'm aware. Painfully so, actually. But undoubtedly he'll come to the same conclusion I did: that this is the safest place in the Nine realms for him." She stood and rubbed her arms as Bruce threw the chains onto the conference table. He jumped as they slid and crashed to the ground. She smiled a little at him as he sheepishly shrugged.

"They won't do anything to you, will they? For helping me?" she asked him. He smirked.

"I'd love to see them try. I should tell you, the Other Guy doesn't just show up on a whim."

"I'm aware. I sense a veiled threat in that, though."

Bruce's smirk faded. "Don't try to fight us. If that's what you're thinking, I can guarantee it's a horrible idea. I don't want to fight you. But they will if you betray what little trust they've put in you."

"I don't intend to betray anyone. As much like Loki as I may be, I am NOT a liar."

"I hope you're right." Bruce walked around the table to lean against the far wall.

"So who is this 'Thanos'?"

"A monster," Thor answered, striding into the room. Banner shrank back slightly, folding his arms tighter against his body as Tony, Steve, Clint, Natasha and Fury entered, sparing glances and glares at Jessica. The Avengers took their seats around the table, Thor staying standing to pace the length of the room. "An ancient and dark being capable of horrible acts and with limitless power. However the source of his power was destroyed long ago and the pieces scattered throughout the Universe." Fury glanced quickly at the chains now resting on the floor and turned to glare at Jessica. She shrugged, smiling. He glanced over at Banner, shook his head and stood on the other side of the room from him.

"I take it you watched Tony's recording of my conversation with Thor." Tony opened his mouth to ask a question as to how she knew but closed it with a look from Steve.

"Yes," he replied. "and your conversations with Banner and Stark. And we've been talking about your... situation."

"And?"

"Say we believe you-"

"Which we don't," Clint supplied.

"Even though the DNA says so," Bruce interjected.

"How can you expect us to just let Loki walk into the Tower as if nothing happened?"

"I don't," Jessica stated, leaning against the table. "I don't expect you to act as if nothing happened. In fact, if you do, Loki is even less likely to trust you. You know what happened, both on your world and outside of it. I'm not asking you to trust him. Hell, I'm not even asking you to believe him. But when Loki gets here, people will follow him. Half the universe wants his head. Thanos... he wants everything. He wants Loki to be his puppet, his slave. He will be hunted. This isn't trust I'm asking for. It's protection." Steve and Fury's eyes widened.

"You want us..." Clint continued, "to protect... Loki. The very guy who tried to kill us and turned me into his little dancing monkey."

"I know you're aware it wasn't entirely him."

"Gods are complicated," Natasha commented.

"Yeah, no kidding," Tony remarked.

"So how do we kill him?" Fury asked. Jessica and Thor both chuckled darkly.

"With his source of power?" Thor replied, "You do not. No one does. The All-father himself would be hard-pressed to."

"Except, lucky for us," she countered, "he hasn't had it for several centuries. At least, not all of it. He's only had one piece, but it's one piece more than anyone would like." She looked over at the general confusion on most of the Avengers' faces.

"It's called the Infinity Gauntlet. In it sit six gems, that control various aspects of the Universe. They're Time, Space, Reality, Mind, Soul, and Power. With the Gauntlet itself and the six gems, Thanos is unstoppable. He would control everything. We wouldn't stand a chance. He could rip the Hulk to his base atoms and not even lift a finger." She nodded to Bruce, who had paled considerably. "Luckily, he has only had contact to one. And it's not currently in his possession."

"Where is it?" Steve asked.

"Loki's staff."

"So he's powerless," Fury said.

"Far from it," she answered. "He is still one of the most skilled magic users in existence and the strongest. He's called the 'Mad Titan' for a reason."

"And you want us to fight him? That's suicide!" Bruce leveled.

"Thanos himself will not join the fight. He thinks himself far above a battle for something as small as Loki and Midgard," Thor answered, now fixating on a point on the floor.

"But he will have an army." The Avengers grew serious.

"We've fought alien armies before," Steve countered.

"The Chitauri? They'll be nothing compared to this." Everyone in the room's eyes widened. Jessica shook her head, righting herself. "Don't you get it?" she stressed. "Loki and the Chitauri, they were nothing. They were the pilot-fish. The scouts. Figure out Earth's defenses, see where they're up against."

"The scouts have passed through," Natasha reminded.

"So now..." Clint continued. Tony shakes his head, skin paling and sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

"Here comes the shark."


End file.
